Mine car coupling



Sept 6, 1932 w. v. JOHNSON ET AL 1,876,239

MINE CAR COUPLING Filed April 20. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MINE CAR COUPLING Filed April 20. 1931 W. V. JOHNSON ET AL sept. 64,1932.

VEN rms C. /fe/wzer Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE WARREN V. JOHNSON AND ROBERT C. KEPNER, OF BER/WICK, PENNSYLVANIA, AS-

SIGNORS T THE AMERICAN CAB, AND. FOUNDRY COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A

CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY MINE can Application led April 20,

vThis invention relates generally to mine cars and. has for oneobject the provision of means for stiffening the car longitudinally thereof to resist end shocks and pulling stresses. f p

Another obj ect of this invention is the provision of a mine car including an underframe therefor longitudinally stiffened and reinforcedV to resist enol` shocks and pulling stresses. f

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved .combined bumper and coupler casting for use with mine cars.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a new and improved coupling means for mine cars. Y

Other objects and advantages of this in venticn will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a view, partly in section, showing the adjacent endA portions of two connected mine cars.

Fig. 2 is an end view of amine car showing the present invention. f

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the car shown in Fig. 2, the view being taken at the end portion of the car and having certain parts shown in section.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4 4,

2, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional View on the line 5 5, Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which similar characters of reference designate similar parts in the several views, the drawings disclose a mine car having a body indicated generally at A, substantially rectangular in the instance shown and comprising side and end walls 2 and l, respectively. The drawings disclose a car designed for rotary dumping and hence the side and end walls are fixed or stationary. Obviously the car may be designed for either end or side dumping, if desired. The car body is provided with a bottom which is shown as being formed of a plurality of longitudinally extending metal plates 6, and said body is mounted on an underframe indicated 1931. Serial N'o. 531,392.

Vgenerally at B and which is of course providl ed with the j usual wheels and axles (not shown). The underframe B comprises the spaced longitudinal sills 8, Z-shaped in the instance shown and having their upper flanges oppositely extending and outwardly projected to serve as supports for the body A (see Fig. 2). As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2,'an angle 11 extends between and is connected tothe lower flanges 12 of the sills B by suitable fasteners 13, the horizontal iiange 111 of said angle underlying the bottom flanges 12 of the sills to serve as a support for longitudinally extending wood planks 16, the ends of which project beyond the ends of the sills to form parts of a bumper structure as hereinafter more specifically described. The angle 11 obviously defines an end sill and the vertical fiange 18 of the angle 11 serves as an abutment for a bottom bumper filler block 20. `The wood planks 16 extend from end to end of the underframe, and are also supportedv by the out-turned flanges l22 ofr buffer memberC, in the form of an inverted flanged channel which extends from end to end of the underframe and defines an lunderframe stiifener or back-bone, as will be apparent. The channel stiffene'r C extends beyond theend of the body and terminates 'adjacent the ends of the planks 1G, which latter are preferably rounded at their ends as shown clearl in Fig. 3; the wood planks and channel'de 'ning a bumper structure and supporting a combined bumper and coupler `casting D secured thereto and to lthe stiffener C by fasteners such as the bolts 24. As clearly-shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bolts 24 also serve to connect the filler block 20.

The casting'D comprises a body portion including a face plate 26 adapted to extend over the ends of the planks 16 and the end of the channel stiener C and said face plate defines a buffer. The face plate 26 is curved to con-form to the curvaturev of the bumper structure land is provided with an inturned lower edge 27 underlying the vforward edge of the filler block 2O to aid in supporting the latter. The coupler casting also includes a top plate 28 which rests upon the bumper structure and Vhas an integral drawhead'BO,

Il i) from the rear end of which a draw-bar 82 extends in a position such that it rests upon the web 84 ot the channel C and is secured thereto by fasteners 36 which extend through and connect a brace 38 arranged in the chanel, as clearly shown in Fig. l. rl`he angle 11 is also connected to the channel by means of a fastener 4() which extends through the drawbar 32 and the channel and through the horizontal flange 14 ot the angle.

From the description thus 'far it will be apparent that the underframe comprises a structure which is longitudinally reinforced by means of the metal channel C and which includes a butler casting arranged over the bumper structure and connected to the backbone. As now to be described, the underiframe also includes as an integral part of the butler casting a coupling member, and as clearly shown in Fig. l, the upper wall oi' the drawhead 30 is provided with a longitudinally extending opening 42 and with an upstanding hinge lug 44 to which vthe rear end of a coupler pin carrier 46 is pivoted on a pintle 50. rlhe carrier 46 comprises a recessed cover which normally closes the opening 42 and pivotally secured within the forward end thereof on a pin 52 is a coupling pin 54 which normallv depends from the cover and has its lower end arranged in a slot 56 formed in. the lower wall 58 ot a coupler socket 31. The iorward end of the slot 56 defines a stop 60 for limiting the movement of the pin 54 in one direction, as will be apparent. rlfhe stop 6G is preferably alined with .the forward end ot the slot 42 formed in the upper wall ot the drawhead, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. As will be apparent, the pin 54 is free to swing on its pivot 52 in one direction as shown in dotted lines in said Fig. l when a coupling link 6l enters the drawhead 30 to permit the engagement of the pin 54 with the link 6l, and the movement of the pin 54 will be independent of the carrier 46. in uncoupling device or coupling pin lifting means is provided and as shown, the

I forward end ot the carrier 46 is provided with a vertically extending stud 62 to which links 64 are plvotally connected by means of a pin `66. The upper ends ot the links 64 are pivotally connected as shown at 68 to one end of a lever 70 which is adapted to be lifted by means oi a rod "Z 2 mounted in brackets Z4 secured to the end wall 4 ot the car body and the pivot 5() whereby to prevent lifting of the reverses pin 54 out of the link 61 and thus retain adjacent car bodies in their coupled relation.

F rom the above description it is believed that the construction of the present invention will be fully apparent to those skilled in the art. rl'he drawings are for illustrative purn poses only and various changes in the form and proportions of the construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: f

l. A coupling device for rotary dump mine 'carscomprising a draw head having an opening in its upper wall, a coupling pin support plvoted to the draw head adjacent the opening, a coupling pin pivoted to said support and normally extending through the opening into the draw head, said coupling` pin being capable of movement in one direction independently or the support, means tor swinging the support to litt the coupling pin, and a keeper pivot-ed to the car body adjacent the draw head adapted to engage the support when the car is rotated to restrain the support against movement on its pivot. I

El coupling` device for rotary dump mine cars comprising a draw head having alined openings in the upper and lower walls thereof, a coupling pin support pivoted to the draw head adj aoent the opening in the upper wall thereof, a coupling pin pivotally connected to said support and normally extending into said openings, said coupling pin being capable of movement in one direction independently of the support, link and lever means for swinging the support to lift the coupling pin trom the openings, and a keeper pivotally mounted adjacent the draw head adapted to engage the support when the car is rotated to restrain the support against movement on its pivot. Y

ln witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

WARREN V. `JOl-llllfdlbl. ROBERT C. KEPNER. 

